Wrench



March 26, 1945. l c. w. BROWN `2,397,239

` WRENCH Filed Sept. l, 1944 INVENTOR. Y

" Referring to these Patented Mar. 26, 1946 UNH-ED sfrArEs PATENT orFlcE- J -Wannen Charles W. Brown, Falls Church, ,'Va.

Application September 1, 1944, Serial No. l552,317

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wrenches, one of the objects being to provide a quick adjustable wrench having simple and eiiicient means whereby, after the jaws of the Wrench have been applied to the object to be gripped, they can be given a supplemental movement for the purpose of clamping tightly on the object.

A further object is tov provide a wrench which is simple and compact in construction and that can be easily handled, it being possible to so constructthe wrench as to adapt it for turning either nuts or round objects.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details oi' construction and combinations ofparts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and'arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through the wrench, the adjustable jaws and a portion of one of the fork members being shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

iigures by characters of reference, l designates a tubular shank having, in the present structure, oppostely extended xed jaws 2 and 3. One of these jaws can be used for turning pipes and other round objects while the other can be used for turning nuts. That end of the shank I remote from these jaws has a guide opening 4 and a longitudinally extending opening 5 is formed in a portion of the shank adjacent to opening 4 by cutting away the shank, as shown.

An elongated slide 6 is mounted at one end in the opening 4 and is extended longitudinally within the shank I. The other end of the slide is provided with a fork made up of opposed resilient arms 'I the free ends of which are extended outwardly along diverging lines to provide cams 8 which are positioned to slide within openings 9 in the respective sides of the shank I. The arms 1 are provided adjacent to the cams 8 with teeth I0 located on the inner sides of the arms. These arms preferably are enlarged where the teeth and the cams are located.

Jaws II and I2 corresponding and cooperating with the jaws 2 and 3 are mounted on a slidable shank I3 fitted snugly within the tubular shank I and positioned between the opposed toothed headssIII on the arms 1. Opposed faces of the shank I3 are provided with transverse teeth I5 located where they can be engaged by the teeth III when the heads I4 are shifted toward each other away from normal positions. Normally, however, these heads are spaced apart a sulcient distance to permit the toothed shank I3 to slide freely between them.

A spring I6 can be secured at one end to the inner end of shank I3 while its other end portion can be extended into and secured within a bore Il formed in the slide 6.

A lever I8 is pivotally connected to the shank I as indicated at I9 andis joined by a link 20 or the like to the slide 6. This lever is adapted to move towards and away from the opening 5.

Obviously the spring I6 serves to hold the jaws II and I2 normally pressed toward the jaws 2 and 3. When it is desired toturn an object by means of the wrench, the movable jaws II and I2 are pulled away from the fixed jaws 2 and 3 and the object to be turned is inserted between them. This movement will cause the shank I3 to pull through the spring I6 on the slide Ii which, in turn, will thrust through link 20 against lever I8 and move the lever outwardly about its pivot I9. Thereafter lever I8 isgrasped in the hand holding the shank I and thrust toward the shank. This will cause a thrust to be transmitted from lever I 8 through link 20 to the slide 6 and this slide will be movedlongitudinally away from the jaws. This movement of the slide will cause the cams 8 to come against the adjacent walls of the openings 9 and to be deflected toward each other by said walls. Consequently the teeth III will be brought into engagement with the teeth I5 and during continued backward movement of the slide 6 the toothed heads I4 engaging shank I3 will pull said shank back into shank I for a limited distance so that the article between the jaws will be tightly gripped. As the point of connection between the link 20 and lever I8 will be past a dead center the parts will be held in gripping position until released. As soon as lever I8 is released, the shank I3 will be freed so that it can be pulled outwardly to any desired position relative to the shank I.

What is claimed is:

1. A wrench including a' tubular shank, a

Y movable shank slidable therein, jaws on the refor sliding the fork in one direction,

spective shanks, a fork slidable in the tubular shank and embracing the movable shank, means operated by a hand gripping the tubular shank, teeth on 1.5 2,397,239 c Y the movable shank, teeth on the fork adjacent the shank for actuation with the fork, saidrmeans tobut normally spaced from the teeth on the including cam portions carried by the free ends shank, and means controlled by said sliding of the fork, there being portions ofthe tubular movement of the fork for contracting the kfork shank constituting means for deecting the cam t0 engage the teeth thereon with the teeth on 5 vportions toward each other Vwhen the fork 'is' Y vtheshank for actuation with the fork. shifted in one direction.

2. A wrench including a tubular shank, a 3, A wrench including a tubular shank, a, movable shank slidable therein, jaws on theretoothed shank slidable therein, jaws on the spective Shanks, a fork slidable in the tubularV Shanks, a, slide in tubular shank, a, fork on 'the shank and embracing the movableshank, means '10 slide embracing the toothed shank, a resilient o operated by a hand Vgripping the tubular shank, y connection between the slide and toothed shank,v

Y for sliding the fork in one direction, teeth on means shiftable by a hand gripping the tubular themovable shank, teeth on the fork adjacentj shank for moving the slide in one direction, and

to but normally spaced from theV teeth on th shank, and meanscontrolled by said sliding ilo -for contracting the forkrvto grip and pull the movement of the fork for contracting thefork toothed shank.`

y CHARLES W. BROWN.

to engage the teeth thereonV with ther'iseeth` on J Y means controlled by said movement of the slide*A 

